Short-Term Mission Support for Family Missions Company

In May 2015, I helped out the Family Missions Company missionaries receive a short-term mission group from Louisiana. I had been in contact with missionaries Ryan and Jason with FMC for a while about making a visit to get to know their community a bit, and it worked out for me to come and help out in the mission. This mission was located in Puerto Misahuallí, which is located in the Oriente on the Napo River. I joined in with the missionaries Ryan, Jason, Candice, and James to receive the students (along with their guides) who had just graduated from high school.  My own experience with the culture and language allowed me to fit right in and be helpful, and it was easy to get to know the local people and the missionaries. It was a really special time, and we all bonded in a special way with each other and the local people. I hope to go back someday...

The experience also gave me some new ideas and solidified some of my own ideas on the hosting that I would like to do as Barriers To Bridges. 

First Communion for Santa Cecilia

In 2013, I visited the community Santa Cecilia each week along with one of the Franciscan sisters. Santa Cecilia is one of the satellite villages in Puerto Quito, and they received a visit from the local priest about once every several months. No one was available to visit the people there when the local priest asked me if I wanted to go. I invited Sr. Josefina to come along, and she continued for another year after I had to leave. By the end of the two years, 15 children received their first communion, in the first "first communion" experience of the village. For me, I also saw that the whole process was the children's - and the villages - first experience of communion in grace amongst each other.

The first time we went, we used the readings from the Mass to have a celebration of the Word. We had about 2 or three young mothers, plus some small children, gathered on a bamboo bench just outside of the local one-room schoolhouse. A dog lay nearby, and a large pig trotted by as we began. One young woman read the first reading while breastfeeding. And I remember that that was the first time that I ever preached, as a large number of small birds arrived to listen!  Well, from there we were able to use the schoolhouse for a bit, and then had to move to neighbor's house, as the group of children grew as well. We used material supplies that we could get in Puerto Quito plus our own creativity to give the people what I like to think of as the best activities of all the Sunday experiences in the Puerto Quito area! And above and beyond all, an experience of heart-felt communion. Check out the video:

Living in Puerto Quito

I spent one year living in Puerto Quito, from Feb 2013 to Feb 2014, and was blessed to live in the parish house and come to know the community and their way of life. There are so many memories and continued relationships!

In January 2015, I returned to live for a month, alongside the Bazurto family, who became good friends. The Bazurtos were a family of 15 - including several young women with physical disabilities - living in a small wooden house. (Some have since moved out, and the matriarch of the family has found work.) I spent a lot of time playing with the kids, as well assisting the family with their poverty needs: food, furniture, and eyeglasses for the kids!

Enjoy the house party:

Bosque de Oro Comes to Life

In 2013, I regularly visited one of the satellite villages in the area of Puerto Quito, called Bosque de Oro, or "Forest of Gold". With two of the Franciscan sisters, we went almost every Sunday to this community that had a Mass maybe once a month. There, we organized a celebration of the Word with Communion. I had the opportunity to preach there each week, but also to join with the sisters in developing the event. We prepared people to announce the Scripture, to form a choir, and take our own place at leading the services. We taught the rosary after the service as well, so that people could get comfortable and pray on their own at home if they wanted. In the meantime, we had also visited a few sick people after the service to bring communion or to pray with them. The attendance at the service and the sense of community grew until I had to leave, but return visits are always special!

Animating a Project for the Disabled

In 2013, I was able to spend a few days a week accompanying people with disabilities in Puerto Quito in a project called Amigos del Arca. Working together with the leaders and workers, we organized an all-day event every Friday that included a dynamic spiritual service, a lunch, and many social activities for the community of people with disabilities and their families. It all integrated spiritual and social dimensions in a way that made everyone look forward to every Friday. You could see the whole spirit of the community came to life!